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This coming Saturday Velasquez vs Do Santos 3 will take place in Houston at the Toyota Center. The stakes are even higher this time around because the battles are split, so this is the Rubber Match. But be clear this will not be the last time these titans meet inside the octagon. Both of them will stay atop the rankings and will always be one or two impressive wins from a title shot.

Quick Recap: The first fight ended in the first round after Cain gets clipped by an overhead right and Junior finishes the fight with ground and pound punches. The second fight is a five round ass kicking. Cain dominates the fight from the sound of the first bell.

So going into this fight Cain has the advantage because of how he won his fight. Junior is on record saying he over trained for the second fight and the third fight will be a repeat of the first. Cain is on record saying he never wants to feel like he did when he lost the belt so he is going to go out and keep what is his. And if you watch the highlights of the second fight how could you question if Cain can do it again.

Tomorrow night Cain Velasquezwill step in the octagon in Las Vegas for UFC160. He will be fighting “Bigfoot” for the second time. This time the stakes are higher because Cain is the UFC Heavyweight Champion and he plans on keeping his belt. The stakes are also higher because the first fight Cain dominated Bigfoot and it ended in the first round so there are some critics out there thinking that the first fight was a fluke and you can somewhat understand how they could get to that conclusion. In this sport all it takes is one hit or move and it’s over. Cain was the victim of getting clipped and he lost his title because of it. Critics spoke and said Cain’s loss was a fluke, and you could say they were right because how he dominated Junior in the rematch to regain his title.

This rematch will be much different. Cain stated that he prepared for this fight like the first fight never happened. He is going in to work his game plan and defend his title. Losing his title before was a feeling he never wants to feel again. He came in this sport to be the top guy and that is where he plans to stay for some time. So all those critics that think the first fight was a fluke, Cain this time will not prove you right.

Shoes are a consumable aesthetic representation of culture, and its value as being a medium for communication transcends the leather, mesh, and rubber of which they are comprised. To many, footwear is purely of practical value, to others, the shoes we lace up display narratives of our past and present, it tells a story. But before the story lands on your feet…it begins in the mind of it’s maker…the creative designer. Let’s follow the Journey of a Lugz shoe as it goes from the factory to your feet.

The first stage of building a Lugz shoe is building a sample. This is where the designer takes his or her ideas…puts them on paper(literally) and then create a 3d rendering of it in a computer animated drawing(CAD) complete with specs. After sourcing out and selecting the materials of the shoe …the CAD is then sent out to be hand made. The sample is now born!

Now that the sample is created..it can now roll through two to six weeks of fit testing. At each stage we make adjustments based on the feedback and based on what we see in the shoes. After tackling any design issues…a “Confirmation Sample” is now ready to go.

At this sample stage we are done. We know the material, the color, the fit and the feel we will use to create the product. Typically this gets us to six months from production and delivery to retail. The only reason for this is to get the shoes right based on the testing.

From confirmation we go to one of the hardest parts of the shoe making process: commercialization. (creating additional molds to be graded to at least 11 sizes and many times a great deal more). So the idea is that the size 13 fits and feels as good on a size 13 foot as a sample size 9 does on a size 9 foot. Once that process is completed we can then get the ball rolling on creating the final product.

Believe it or not this is where the expertise lies…in the Factory. Sure, factories come a dime a dozen but finding one that has the expertise to replicate shoes over and over and over again with consistent quality is what counts. After all, you, the end consumer, expect that the size 10 you are trying on is exactly like the size 10 you’ve been wearing for the past three months. Every single one of your shoes is touched by as many as 40 people on a production line and the entire process is not done in one day. So the fact that from a confirmation sample the factory gets your size 10s right is downright amazing and that is why selecting the right factory is important.

Finally at the end of the 18 month cycle the shoes land at retail and on your feet….where we hand the baton off for you to make memories in them. We literally celebrate when the product finally gets in your hands. Most of all we are hopeful that you can instantly give us some feedback — feedback that we can use to create the next version of that shoe which in turn is probably less than 18 months away from hitting retail shelves.

Ball Bracelets for men are at the peak of fashion jewelry this year with even some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop like Jay-Z making it a wrist staple.

In our New Designer Spotlight Feature…Lugz teams up with freshly minted Ball Bracelet designer Kwasi Carrington who showcased a few pieces from his new line Vintage Geechii in his shoot with Lugz Footwear.

HIS-STORY | Designer Kwasi Geechii Carrington

My Name is Kwasi Carringtonand I started making custom bracelets in 2010 with the intention of having something unique for myself. I have always admired wrist wear while growing up from spiked leather to metallic bands, so I invested myself in research to discover the art of creating my own stylish wrist wear. I spent hours exploring lower Manhattan (Soho) in search of retailers connected with Beads and semi-precious stones so that I could utilize those pieces in my creations. In that quest, I met many boutique owners that shared a similar journey as my own and slowly learned through them how to create custom pieces using a variety of beading applications. Friends quickly noticed my new wrist addition…and how it complimented my beloved G-Shock watch. Many expressed an interest in having their own wrist piece created with colors or beading that complimented their personality and even recommended that I start selling them. Although it was never my intention to share my creations, as interest grew and praises abounded I felt the need to continue to provide fashionable wrist wear for my clients. Seeing them wearing my creations, the admiration and gratitude …definitely brings a satisfying feeling knowing I was able to use my love of fashion to bring Vintage Geechii wrist wear to life!

Be original this season…every design is unique and customized for you…Rock Geechii wristwear! Connect and become a fan HERE!

What’s up next for Lugz Endorser Phil Davis? Well its in the cards…the fight card that is.
The UFC has announced that Phil Davis will compete against former Ultimate Fighter 8 runner up Vinny Magalhaes at UFC 159 which will be held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey come April 27,2013. Phil is not feeling so “Wonderful” about this fight, which according to Davis is an immature match-up. The way Phil sees it…Magalhaes has’nt accomplished enough inside the Octagon to warrant a fight against him.Although Magalhaes racked up a 7-1 record…only 1 of those wins came under the UFC umbrella, clearly not impressing enough for Davis who has 6 fights under the ZUFFA Banner and who was one fight shy from the UFC title had he defeated Rashad Evans a year ago. Nevertheless, despite having only one win, Vinny will get his much-desired chance to PROVE that he deserves to share the Octagon with “Mr. Wonderful”.

Share your thoughts! Does Vinny deserve such a high-profile fight on such a highly-anticipated event?

This coming Saturday team Lugz member Josh Koscheck will enter the cage for the 26th time and looking to secure his 20th victory at UFC 157 and if he stays healthy and has it his way this will be the first of 3 fights he would like to get in this year. Kos is known as the guy that has never turned down a fight and always comes prepared to fight. The UFC loves the bleached blonde hair Ultimate Fighter Winner. The fans are 50/50 love/hate but even the ones that hate, love that he shows up and never backs down.

Kos will step into the cage looking to secure his victory in a compelling way againts a fighter that at one point was considered one of the best in the world at 170lbs. Kos said he plans to spoil his opponents return to the UFC. Kos said this training camp was set up right and went as planned. He feels great going into this fight. He once again feels he has a point to prove with all the fighters coming over from Strikeforce and the young guys new to the UFC trying to make a name for themselves.

Check your local listing for time and station. UFC 157 Live on PPV, Saturday, Feb 23, 2013

In our 20th year celebrating Lugz, we have to look back to the great endorsers we have had over the years, an unbelievable list of great artists. Lugz actually was one of the first brands that promoted Hip Hop Artists. For those of you who have followed Lugz – you know this great list kicked off with the Green Eyed Bandit himself – Erick Sermon…the “E” in EPMD.

(Trivia Question – how many of you followed EPMD to remember what that stands for?)

We started working with Erick the same way we have worked with all of our Hip Hop Endorsers – they wore Lugz, they liked Lugz – so they endorsed Lugz. Erick would come up to our offices, with a few of his Def Squad boys – yes, this included Redman and Keith Murray who later on joined the list of Lugz Endorsers. He’d sit and pick out what he liked – and of course he’d want to “re-design” and change what he didn’t.

The day of the shoot, he put on his Lugz Boots, his Lugz Apparel and we headed out to Brooklyn. 8 hours later, several changes, we came out with some dope print ads. Everyone was listening to radio back then – so Erick also did some cool radio spots for Lugz. We did most of our photo shoots on the streets – we were Built for the Streets back in 1993 and we are still Built for the Streets 20 years later in 2013.

Cain Velasquez is less than 30hrs away from fighting to get his title back in Las Vegas. The vibe in the MGM is buzzing right now and you can feel a crazy energy in the air.

Every room key in the hotel is an advertisement for UFC155 and it is being talked about all throughout the venue. They even constructed a mock octagon in the main lobby.

Cain did two phone interviews, a meet and greet with some contest winners and now he awaits the weigh in. After the weigh in he will go to dinner and then shut it down and go into a zone. When he returns to the MGM arena it will be time to go to work.

The fight takes place four days after Christmas but for Cain Velasquez winning his belt back at UFC 155 will be the most joyful moment of the week. Cain has been saying all year, “Something is missing, I need that belt, I need to be the top guy. I’m going to go in and take that belt and keep it.”

So we’re in the final weeks of December, everyone is holding off on their Gym resolutions until after all the gingerbread cookies are gone. I for one have the absolute worse discipline when it comes to working out…and I’m sure some of you reading this do too. According to most personal trainers, one of the toughest things about getting in shape is getting started. I ran across this cool article in the 2013 winter issue of UFC Fit Magazine “From Arm Chair…to Arm Bar” that shared an amazing program to get any beginner to actually keep their New Year’s fitness resolutions using MMA training techniques. Of-course, having Team Lugz Member Phil Davisshow us how is slightly unfair considering he has 0% body fat to begin with, but for some of us…watching him make it look easy just might get us started if we want our bodies to look anything like his. The UFC gym gives some key advice here on incorporating elements from MMA training into your own workout programs:

Set aside 3 days for 3 weekly workouts, punctuated by a day of rest to allow for recovery (i.e, Monday, Wednesday, Friday) Here’s the breakdown:

a) Workout 1: Conditioning Circuit

b) Workout 2: Strength and Power

c) Workout 3: Conditioning Bag Work

Mind your posture- “Always remember to start your workout with a good athletic stance”— says strength and conditioning UFC Gym coach Andy Hennebelle. This could be the make or break for you to continue your work-out routines pain free.

Focus on Balance and Movement- “Be light on your feet for all movements and use force only when it is being produced”.

Show some Swagger- “Have confidence about what you’re doing and approach your training like you’re a fighter”. The workout designed in this program could potentially overwhelm you so going in with that Fighter mannerism will be the key to getting it done.

Follow Through and Give full Effort- “Finish all of your exercises, challenge yourself and test your physical limits” says Hennebelle. No one said it would be easy…but as with anything else in life…practice makes perfect…pushing through your workouts will increase your stamina and make climbing that fitness ladder way easier.

You can check out the entire workout plan and follow along by picking up your own copy of the UFC Fit Winter 2013 Issue(On stands now) and get your Swagger Back for 2013!

Legal Disclaimer: The images, video and music posted on this blog are not owned by Lugz or its parent company. No implied endorsement should be established. Unless specified that Lugz is directly associated with the post. This blog is an expression of interest of the contributors and their view of what is happening in the marketplace.